The Mayor has pledged almost £500,000 to 39 creative and innovative community-led crowdfunding campaigns for projects that will help local neighbourhoods across London recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
From an Islington-based cookery school supporting social integration and a knitting project in Hammersmith tackling loneliness and homelessness, to co-designed pocket parks in Romford and experimental meanwhile programming in vacant retail units led by Kingston’s young people. These local ideas will help improve public spaces, support community hubs and town centres, and bring people together creatively and safely.
24 smaller-scale projects have received pledges totalling £110,714 from the Mayor, while 15 larger initiatives will be sharing pledges totalling £355,500.
These local ideas could help transform local communities and create spaces for future generations to enjoy, but they need your support to become a reality - can you pledge your time, expertise or as little as £2 to their crowdfunding campaigns to play a part in bringing these projects to life?
The Mayor has pledged up to £5,000 for projects to start something new or grow an existing idea.
ABRA Community Garden
Borough: Lambeth
Pledge: £5,000
A volunteer-led project to improve the ABRA Community Garden in Lambeth to help local people access good quality outdoor space.
Find out more: ABRA Community Garden
Alexandra Palace Art Trail 2021
Borough: Haringey
Pledge: £5,000
Creating an art trail in Alexandra Palace for local people to safely discover new artworks. Includes career development and mentoring through the Palace's Young People's Programme.
Find out more: Alexandra Palace Art Trail 2021
Artists with Dementia in Tower Hamlets
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Pledge: £4,553
Online art classes for people with dementia and their carers in Tower Hamlets to reduce loneliness and isolation.
Find out more: Artists with Dementia in Tower Hamlets
BLooM - Connecting with Nature
Borough: Hackney
Pledge: £5,000
Building on a lockdown project by Black Girls Bloom, this programme of training and events encourages people from BAME backgrounds to feel welcome in local green spaces.
Find out more: BLooM - Connecting with Nature
Bourne Under Cover
Borough: Enfield
Pledge: £5,000
Repairing and installing an artist-designed dome to provide a covered space for local people to come together in the Bourne Allotments.
Find out more: Bourne Under Cover
Bring trees to Palmers Green high street
Borough: Enfield
Pledge: £4,065
Volunteer-led project to install trees and planters on Palmers Green High Street to improve the area for local people.
Find out more: Bring trees to Palmers Green high street
Building Healthier Communities
Borough: Hammersmith and Fulham
Pledge: £5,000
Crochet and knitting project to reduce loneliness, build friendships and make clothes for homeless people.
Find out more: Building Healthier Communities
Community Craft Workshops
Borough: Southwark
Pledge: £4,500
Craft workshops to bring together women of all backgrounds on the Aylesbury Estate.
Find out more: Community Craft Workshop
Community Mural for Pymmes Park
Borough: Enfield
Pledge: £4,915
Working with local people to design and paint a new mural for Pymmes Park Community Centre.
Find out more: Community Mural for Pymmes Park
Enhancing Ackroyd Drive Greenlink
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Pledge: £5,000
Working with local people to plan, design and paint a new mural for Ackroyd Drive Greenlink.
Find out more: Enhancing Ackroyd Greenlink
Flourishing Feltham Green
Borough: Hounslow
Pledge: £4,126
Volunteer-led project to install planters representing local history on Feltham Green to enhance the area and reduce anti-social behaviour.
Find out more: Flourishing Felthan Green
Granville Garden - Feeding Our Community
Borough: Brent
Pledge: £4,043
Improvements to the Granville Community garden to extend the range and volume of food grown for local people.
Find out more: Granwille Garden - Feeding Our Community
Greening Stratford Village Neighbourhood
Borough: Newham
Pledge: £4,500
Volunteer-led project to improve and develop three small community gardens established during lockdown.
Find out more: Greening Stratford Village Neighbourhood
Grow Lewisham
Borough: Lewisham
Pledge: £4,118
Workshops and equipment for a community garden to support local people to grow their own food.
Imagining Sanctuary in Lewisham
Borough: Lewisham
Pledge: £4,463
Workshops, exhibitions and performances led by refugee artists across Lewisham.
Find out more: Imagining Sanctuary in Lewisham
Improving Pinner Recreation Ground
Borough: Harrow
Pledge: £4,565
Improving an underused recreation ground to help more local people and families enjoy time outside.
Find out more: Improving Pinner Recreation Ground
Make Inclusive Theatre online Richmond
Borough: Richmond
Pledge: £3,950
Online workshops for older people and Deaf and disabled people to create a new piece of theatre from their experiences of lockdown.
Find out more: Make Inclusive Theatre online Richmond
Mural for Tower Hamlets Community Centre
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Pledge: £5,000
Workshops for local people to plan and design a mural representing them for the Sundial Community Centre.
Find out more: Mural for Towel Hamlets Community Centre
Patched Together Lewisham
Borough: Lewisham
Pledge: £5,000
Growing a project started in lockdown to deliver craft kits to local residents to create a community artwork.
Find out more: Patched Together Lewisham
Pearl's Return - BLKOUT LIVE
Borough: Lambeth
Pledge: £5,000
Pop-up events to celebrate and provide a welcoming space for BAME LGBTQ+ Londoners.
Find out more: Pearl's Return - BLKOUT LIVE
Play, Learn, Create in Sutton's Garden
Borough: Sutton
Pledge: £3,684
A programme of summer events and activities for families in Manor Park.
Find out more: Play, Learn, Create in Sutton's Garden
Somerford Grows!
Hackney
Pledge: £4,759
Enhancing the community garden on Somerford Grove Estate started by local residents during lockdown.
Find out more: Someford Grows!
Speaking Stones Crystal Palace
Borough: Bromley
Pledge: £4,991
Working with the local community to create a walking tour exploring the Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs.
Find out more: Speaking Stones Crystal Palace
The Go Africa Community Hub
Borough: Islington
Pledge: £4,482
Creating a community hub and market-place for African artists and local people to come together.
The Mayor has pledged up to £50,000 to support larger projects for the city. At this tier, projects need further support to reach their target - can you pledge your time, or as little as £2 to their crowdfunding campaigns to play a part in bringing these projects to life?
Making Space in Poplar
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Pledge: £20,000
The transformation of a long-empty post office on the Aberfeldy Estate in Poplar, on a high street where most shop units are closed or vacant, into a shared workshop for craft and training, involving the local youth of Aberfeldy.
Find out more: Making Space in Poplar
Romford Pocket Parks
Borough: Havering
Pledge: £30,000
Delivering two mobile pocket park spaces in and around Romford high street and town centre, co-designed with local schools, community groups and businesses, along with a green trails publicity around Romford promoting environmental initiatives, eco-friendly products and services.
Find out more: Romford Pocket Parks
The Acton Pop-up
Borough: Ealing
Pledge: £30,000
Securing and re-opening a vacant Library on Acton High Street for community use, accommodating a COVID secure pop-up cinema and a bar/café hosting independent traders.
Find out more: The Acton Pop-up
Sitopia at Woodlands Farm
Borough: Greenwich
Pledge: £37,500
The creation of a local food growing farm in Greenwich hosting a range of community activities, events and training, as well as tackling local food insecurity and waste.
Find out more: Sitopia at Woodlands Farm
Common Rooms for Clapton
Borough: Hackney
Pledge: £30,000
Transformation of the under-croft of St Thomas' Church into a community hub, including community canteen and servery, group exercise studio, bookable meeting rooms, accompanied by community arts residency programme.
Find out more: Common Rooms for Clapton
Migrateful Cookery School
Borough: Islington
Pledge: £45,000
Providing a permanent home in the 3 Corners Centre in Clerkenwell for Migrateful, a social enterprise that helps refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to share their traditional cuisines with the public, training them to become professional cookery class teachers as a way to access employment and integration in the UK.
Find out more: Migrateful Cookery School
Community Space at Glengall Wharf
Borough: Southwark
Pledge: £10,000
Establishing a community and education hub for Glengall Wharf garden, for use by the wider community in an area where private amenity is limited, and strengthening area links through volunteering, workshops and contributing food grown to its local food bank.
Find out more: Community Space at Glengall Wharf
Dig Hanwell Community Garden
Borough: Ealing
Pledge: £18,000
The delivery of a 2,560m2 community garden and hub space running educational and volunteering activities around horticulture.
Find out more: Dig Hanwell Community Garden
Mountford Hall Community Eco-build
Borough: Hackney
Pledge: £32,000
An architectural summer school inviting local young people (NEETS) to participate in the co-design of a proposal enabling the future refurbishment of a community hall on Mountford Estate, Hackney.
Find out more: Mountford Hall Community Eco-build
Creating Meanwhile Space for Kingston
Borough: Kingston upon Thames
Pledge: £30,000
The transformation and occupation of a vacant retail space by the Union of Kingston Students to deliver new maker spaces, showcase products, provide student-delivered services (SME advice), and provide space for exhibitions, talks, workshops and workspaces, all managed by the students, with the aim of helping the community reimagine vacant retail space in Kingston town centre.
Find out more: Creating Meanwhile Space for Kingston
Old Kents Road Arts Club
Borough: Southwark
Pledge: £20,000
Transformation of an empty shopfront on Old Kent Road into a free arts club bringing local people together in activities, exhibits and workshops focused on Sustainability, Community and Mental Health.
Find out more: Old Kents Road Arts Club
Hill House Community Centre
Borough: Sutton
Pledge: £10,000
Transformation of outdoor space at Hill House into an urban garden in a bringing, bringing people together and providing an opportunity to grow their own food, make new friends, improve their wellbeing and mental health.
Find out more: Hill House Community Centre
A new stage for Crystal Palace
Borough: Bromley
Pledge: £18,000
Deliver the first step of refurbishing the Crystal Palace concert bowl, recently registered as an Asset of Community Value, in readiness for public open-air performances.
Find out more: A new stage for Crystal Palace
Vine Road Project, Engaging the Community
Borough: Richmond upon Thames
Pledge: £13,000
Finalising a co-designed Masterplan for Barnes Common, while delivering live tests of temporary play furniture, mobile planters, outdoor classrooms, play area and planting.
Find out more: Vine Road Project, Engaging the Community
Art for Haringey
Borough: Haringey
Pledge: £12,000
The design and execution of 6 mural artworks across Tottenham sites, co-designed with local community and business by a locally based artist studio